I became a fan of Bahamas through my Discover Weekly on Spotify about a year after Sad Hunk was released in October 2020. I became an instant fan. The opening song on the album, called Trick To Happy, is truly a “sad hunk” anthem. One of my favorite songwriting tactics is writing sad lyrics over positive, uplifting instrumentation, and Trick To Happy does that wonderfully.
The tune starts off with the classic Bahamas sound: doubled, mellow electric guitars, and a simple drum groove. The moment vocals come in, the listener knows the story. Was it going on behind my back? Quite an impressive thing to achieve – an immediate, strong image – but since the first line is so direct, the listener is right in the thick of it.
Soon the gorgeous female background vocals arrive. These oohs are an iconic part of the Bahamas sound, and as a fan, I was very excited to hear these vocals when I first heard this tune. I love how polar opposite these vocals sound. Afie Jurvanen, the singer and songwriter, has an extraordinary vocal range, filled with both grit and tenderness. Combined with the gentle female background voice, Trick To Happy perfectly portrays the contradictory feeling of forcing yourself into a good mood. Sometimes that’s what it takes. “Fake it ‘til you make it” in a song.
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